Skip to main content

A Railway Journey

By
Recently, I went to Calcutta to attend a marriage. The journey by rail took about a day and a half. It was tedious yet enlightening in a bizarre sort of a way. I tried to capture this experience through a few haikus. Hope you enjoy them!!!
Any travel/observance haikus that you might have written are welcome.


I. THE JOURNEY
A blur of colours
—camouflaged with my weird soul—
glimpsed in black and white

II. A.C. 2 TIER
The insomniac
train charges old, tired landscapes—
rails warp in the sun

III. OUTER SIGNAL
The weary train chugs
out at last: one latecomer
does a final sprint

IV. NOCTURNAL VISIONS
On platform no. 10
rabid dogs accentuate
their puerile choler

V. THE TINTED GLASS
The yellow-green land—
unwillingly soused in heat
burns to thin red dust

VI. IDIOSYNCRACIES
The branded morons
plunging into compartments
without rhyme or rea’on.

VII. THE CLOCK STOPS
At night, the violent
serenity murders rude,
callous wakefulness.

Comments

Sue hardy-Dawson said…
I enjoyed your journey, thank-you for the vivid pictures
1:24 AM
Russell CJ Duffy said…
all good but my favourite is number three.
12:48 AM
Nicole Braganza said…
...now Im nostalgic for a nice home-grown story. How about a charming Bengali tale, which Im sure you could write to melt all our tender hearts..??
(Was that flattery enough?)
1:38 AM
Pat Paulk said…
Excellent trip dairy in haiku!!
9:23 PM
iamnasra said…
Its nice to be here... Long time I can not recall when was that..I love your Haiku..Your ride by the train reminds me my first ride by train as young child with my Dad. I willl never forget the feeling of being on train and being with my Dad. The terrain of Africa was great I was travelling with my Dad in Kenya..Thank you for reminding me about it
1:11 AM
Russell Ragsdale said…
Some train trips are isolation and insulation, others are exposure. For all the discomfort, the latter are the most aware. Nice trip!
6:52 PM
Shubhodeep said…
finn >> thank you. unfortunately, i could not put up the pics.

sue >> welcome, as always.

cj >> first VI, now III; hope the rest of them are selected as favs. as well.

nic >> i've almost finished writing a sequel to Delirium, if you remember it. hopefully, up by next month.

pat >> thanks. visit again.

silvy >> yay, #4's also on the list. that makes it 3/7

nasra >> welcome back. you must write about your travels sometime.

russell >> it is when we travel outward that we most reach into our selves
12:44 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Delirium

By
I met her at a club dinner one Saturday night. There was an odd sort of radiance on her countenance. I was helping myself to a fifth glass of chilled lemonade when I spotted her. She was standing alone—though not in a corner. I walked up to her out of sheer curiosity. Something magnetic about her seemed to be drawing me towards her—irresistibly, inevitably… Hesitating slightly, I sauntered casually up to where she stood. ‘Don’t you think the music’s playing a bit too loud’ I asked casually. ‘Uh…yeah, well sort of’ she replied somewhat warily. ‘So, enjoying yourself?’ I asked. ‘Yeah’ she said without enthusiasm. ‘Don’t sound like it’ I remarked. ‘Well,’ she said more freely, ‘I thought I’d meet some friends at least. But my luck seems to have run out.’ She sighed. I looked up and nearly gasped. For the first time I noticed how pretty she was. Fringes of hair ran down her face, and as she pushed them back I noticed her eyes—sparkling black—she looked bewitching. ‘Oh well…yeah it’s that w...
22 comments
Read more

Index Of First Lines

By
(a cutout) The grey cat stirs upon the ledge, The bay is thick with flecks of white— Swift rays across the falling wall below, The floor before my bed is bright. From crumbling walls white-headed crows take flight. And half out of sleep I watch your sleeping face: Grateful for the resin-scented night. I get up and go out in a solitary daze… Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!
28 comments
Read more

Midnight Musings

By
I sit and flip some Pages in vain— Outside, some rabid Dogs bark in the rain. Alone I sit and make sense of printed, bland nonsense. The room is numb— I hear nothing Except fear’s thumps: The clock’s ticking. An errant breeze Whips the glass panes Raw as I grease My pens and pains… My bones creak: An evanescent fear Awakes and speaks… Light is near— The last line is clear! Wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2006! H A P P Y N E W Y E A R !!
26 comments
Read more